Defining Vocabulary in Context

S ometimes in your reading, you come across words or phrases that are unfamiliar to you. You might be lucky and have a dictionary handy to look up that word or phrase, but what if you don’t? How can you understand what you’re reading if you don’t know what all of the words mean? The answer is that you can use the rest of the passage, the context, to help you understand the new words. LESSON Defining Vocabulary in Context LESSON SUMMARY An active reader looks up unfamiliar words. But what if you don’t have a dictionary? In a testing situation (or, for that matter, if you’re reading on the bus), you almost certainly won’t be able to look up words you don’t know. Instead, you can use the context to help you determine the meaning. 3 33  Finding Meaning from Context The following paragraph is about one of our nation’s favorite pastimes, reality TV. Read it carefully, marking it up as you go—but do NOT look up any unfamiliar words or phrases in a dictionary. – DEFINING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT – 34 Most reality TV shows center on two common motivators: fame and money. The shows transform waitresses, hairdressers, investment bankers, counselors, and teachers, to name a few, from obscure figures to household names. A lucky few successfully parlay their 15 minutes of fame into celebrity. Even if you are not interested in fame, you can probably understand the desire for lots of money. Watching people eat large insects, reveal their innermost thoughts to millions of people, and allow themselves to be filmed 24 hours a day for a huge financial reward makes for interesting viewing. Whatever their attraction, these shows are among the most popular on television, and every season, they proliferate like weeds in an untended garden. The networks are quickly replacing more tradi- tional dramas and comedies with reality TV programs, which earn millions in advertising revenue. Whether you love it or hate it, one thing is for sure—reality TV is here to stay! As you read, you may have circled some words that are unfamiliar. Did you circle obscure and prolif- erate? If so, don’t look them up in a dictionary yet. If you do a little detective work, you can determine their definitions by looking carefully at how they are used in the paragraph. What Does Obscure Mean? Start with obscure. How is this word used? The shows transform waitresses, hairdressers, investment bankers, counselors, and teachers, to name a few, from obscure figures to household names. Even if you have no idea what obscure means, you can still learn about the word by how it is used, by examining the words and ideas surrounding it. This is called determining word meaning through context. Like detectives looking for clues at a crime scene, we must look at the passage for clues that will help us define this word. So, given the sentence we have here, what can we tell about obscure? Well, since the shows transform waitresses, hairdressers, investment bankers, coun- selors, and teachers from one position—obscure figures, to another position—household names, that immedi- ately tells us that an obscure figure and a household name are two different things. Furthermore, we know from the sentence that the people in question are involved in typical, everyday jobs (waitresses, hairdressers, bankers, etc.) and that from this position, they are transformed into house- hold names, which means they achieve some level of fame and notoriety. Now you can take a pretty good guess at the meaning of obscure. 1. Before they become household names, the waitresses, hairdressers, investment bankers, counselors, and teachers are a. famous and notorious. b. unknown and undistinguished. c. unique and distinctive. The correct answer, of course, is b. It certainly can’t be a, because we know that these people are not yet famous. The reality shows will make them famous, but until that happens, they remain obscure. Answer c doesn’t really make sense because we know from the passage that these people are waitresses, hairdressers, investment bankers, counselors, and teachers. Now, these are all very respectable jobs, but they are fairly common, so they wouldn’t be described as unique or distinctive. Furthermore, we can tell that b is the cor- rect answer because we can substitute the word obscure with the word unknown or undistinguished in the sen- tence and both would make sense. Review: Finding Facts Here’s a quick review of what you learned in Lesson 1. Reality TV has the ability to take ordinary people and make them famous. However, another reason people participate in reality TV shows is 2. a. for money. b. because they feel lucky. c. because they are bored. A quick check of the facts in the paragraph will tell you the answer is a, for money. What Does Proliferate Mean? Look again at the sentence in the passage in which proliferate is used: Whatever their attraction, these shows are among the most popular on television, and every season, they proliferate like weeds in an untended garden. Again, even if you have no idea what proliferate means, you can still tell what kind of word it is by the way it is used. You know, for example, that these shows proliferate like weeds in an untended garden. Therefore, you can answer this question: 3. Proliferate is a word associated with a. growth. b. reduction. c. disappearance. The answer, of course, is growth. How can you tell? Well, we all know that weeds have a tendency to grow wherever they can. Now that you’ve established that proliferate relates to growth, you can determine a more specific meaning by looking for more clues in the sentence. The sentence doesn’t only tell us that these shows proliferate like weeds. It also tells us that they proliferate like weeds in an untended garden. Just imagine a neglected garden, one that has been left to its own devices. Weeds will begin to grow in every nook and cranny of that garden. In fact, they’ll quickly take over, to the detriment of the plants. The phrase “weeds in an untended garden” is quite descriptive, and as such, it serves as a wonderful clue. Based on the words and phrases surrounding it, an active reader should have no problem determining the meaning of the word proliferate. 4. Proliferate in this passage means a. decrease, shrink. b. underestimate, play down. c. increase, spread at a rapid rate. d. fail, fall short. – DEFINING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT – 35 The correct answer, of course, is c, “increase, spread at a rapid rate.” It can’t be a or d because these are things associated with reduction, not growth. And everyone knows that weeds in an untended garden will grow fast and aggressively. And b is not an appropriate answer because if you replace proliferate with underes- timate or play down, it doesn’t really make sense. In addition, you can tell that c is the right answer because the rest of the passage provides other clues. It tells you that reality TV shows are replacing other network pro- grams, it tells you that they are popular, and it tells you that they are earning millions of dollars in advertising revenue. All these clues would indicate that reality TV shows are spreading and growing in number, not shrinking or declining. Hence, the meaning of prolif- erate must be c, “increase, spread at a rapid rate.”  How Much Context Do You Need? In the previous example, you would still be able to understand the main message of the passage even if you didn’t know—or couldn’t figure out—the meaning of obscure and proliferate. In some cases, however, your understanding of a passage depends on your under- standing of a particular word or phrase. Can you understand the following sentence, for example, with- out knowing what adversely means? Reality TV shows will adversely affect traditional dramas and comedies. What does adversely mean in this sentence? Is it something good or bad? As good a detective as you may be, there simply aren’t enough clues in this sentence to tell you what this word means. But a passage with more information will give you what you need to determine meaning from context. Reality TV shows will adversely affect traditional dramas and comedies. As reality TV increases in pop- ularity, network executives will begin canceling more traditional dramas and comedies and replacing them with the latest in reality TV. 5. In the passage, adversely most nearly means a. mildly, slightly. b. kindly, gently. c. negatively, unfavorably. d. immediately, swiftly. The correct answer is c, “negatively, unfavorably.” The passage provides clues that allow you to deter- mine the meaning of adversely. It tells you that as real- ity TV becomes more popular, network executives will cancel more traditional dramas and comedies and replace them with reality TV programming. So the meaning of adversely is neither a, “mild or slight,” nor b, “kindly or gently.” And based on the passage, you can’t really tell if these changes will be immediate or swift (d) because the sentence doesn’t say anything about the exact time frame in which these changes will occur. Remember, good detectives don’t make assumptions they can’t support with facts; and there are no facts in this sentence to support the assumption that changes will occur immediately. Thus, c is the best answer. You may also have noticed that adversely is very similar to adversary. And if you know that an adversary is a hostile opponent or enemy, then you know that adversely cannot be something positive. Or, if you know the word adversity—hardship or misfortune—then you know that adversely must mean something nega- tive or difficult. All these words share the same root— advers. Only the endings change. – DEFINING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT – 36 Practice Read the following passages and determine the mean- ing of the words from their context. The answers appear immediately after the questions. Although social work is not a particularly lucrative career, I wouldn’t do anything else. Knowing I’m helping others is far more important to me than money. 6. Lucrative means. a. highly profitable. b. highly rewarding. c. highly exciting. When you are in an interview, try not to show any overt signs that you are nervous. Don’t shift in your chair, shake, or stutter. 7. Overt means. a. embarrassing, awkward. b. subtle, suggestive. c. obvious, not hidden. By the time our staff meeting ended at 8:00, I was ravenous. I had skipped lunch and hadn’t eaten since breakfast. 8. Ravenous means a. like a raven, bird-like. b. extremely hungry, greedy for food. c. exhausted, ready for bed. Answers 6. a. The writer says money is not important to him. If money is not an issue, it is okay that social work is not highly profitable, that it doesn’t earn a lot of money. 7. c. Shifting, shaking, and stuttering are all obvious, not hidden signs of nervousness. They are not b, subtle or suggestive; and though they may make the interviewee feel a, embarrassed or awkward, the signs them- selves are not embarrassing or awkward. 8. b. Because the writer hadn’t eaten since break- fast, she is extremely hungry, greedy for food. She may also be c, exhausted, but the context tells us that this word has something to do with eating.  Summary The ability to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words from their context is an essential skill for read- ing comprehension. Sometimes, there will be unfa- miliar words whose meaning you can’t determine without a dictionary. But more often than not, a care- ful look at the context will give you enough clues to meaning. – DEFINING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT – 37 ■ Circle any unfamiliar words you come across today and the rest of the week. Instead of looking them up in a dictionary, try to figure out the meanings of these words from their context. Then, look them up in a dictionary to make sure you are correct. ■ Begin a vocabulary list of the words you look up as you work your way through this book. Many peo- ple feel insecure about their reading and writing skills because they have a limited vocabulary. The more words you know, the easier it will be to understand what others are saying and to express what you have to say. By writing down these new words, you’ll help seal them in your memory. Skill Building until Next Time W hat’s the difference between fact and opinion, and what does it matter, anyway? It matters a great deal, especially when it comes to reading comprehension. During your life, you’ll be exposed to a wide variety of literature, ranging from analyti- cal articles based on cold hard facts to fictional novels that arise wholly from the author’s imagination. However, much of what you read will be a mixture of facts and the author’s opinions. Part of becoming a critical reader means realizing that opinions are not evidence; for opinions to be valid, they must be supported by cold, hard facts. Facts are: ■ Things known for certain to have happened ■ Things known for certain to be true ■ Things known for certain to exist Opinions, on the other hand, are: ■ Things believed to have happened ■ Things believed to be true ■ Things believed to exist LESSON The Difference between Fact and Opinion LESSON SUMMARY To make sense of what you read, you must be able to tell whether you’re reading fact or opinion. This lesson tells you how to distinguish what someone knows for certain from what someone believes. 4 39 As you can see, the key difference between fact and opinion lies in the difference between believing and knowing. Opinions may be based on facts, but they are still what we think, not what we know. Opinions are debatable; facts are not.  Using Facts to Support Opinions Reasonable opinions are those based on fact; and indeed, that is what much of writing is: the writer’s opinion (an assertion about his or her subject) supported by facts or other evidence. Think about the topic sentences you formed after you finished Lesson 2. Perhaps you made an assertion like this: James is a terrific boss. This sentence is a good topic sentence; it’s an assertion about the subject, James. And it is also an opinion. It is, after all, debatable; someone could just as easily take the opposite position and say: James is a terrible boss. This is another good topic sentence, and it’s another opinion. Now, a good writer will show his or her readers that this opinion is valid by supporting it with facts. For example: James is a terrific boss. He always asks us how we’re doing. He lets us leave early or come in late when we have to take care of our children. He always gives holiday bonuses. And he offers tuition reimburse- ment for any course, even if it has nothing to do with our position. Notice how the topic sentence states an opinion, whereas the rest of the sentences support that opinion with facts about how James treats his employees. Now that paragraph is much more effective than something like this: James is a terrible boss. I really don’t like him. He just can’t get along with people. And he has stupid ideas about politics. Why is the first paragraph so much better? Because it’s not just opinion. It’s opinion supported by evidence. The second paragraph is all opinion. Every sentence is debatable; every sentence tells us what the author believes is true, but not what is known to be true. The author of the second paragraph doesn’t pro- vide any evidence to support why he or she thinks that James is such a lousy boss. As a result, we’re not likely to take his or her opinion very seriously. In the first paragraph, on the other hand, the writer offers concrete evidence for why he or she believes James is a great boss. After the initial opinion, the writer provides facts—specific things James does (which can be verified by other observers) that make him a good boss. You may still not agree that James is a great boss, but at least you can see exactly why this writer thinks so.  Distinguishing Fact from Opinion When you read academic materials, very often you will have to distinguish between fact and opinion— between what the writer thinks and how the writer supports what he or she thinks, between what is proven to be true and what needs to be proved. A good test for whether something is a fact or opinion might be to ask yourself, “Can this statement be debated? Is this known for certain to be true?” If you answer yes to the first question, you have an opinion; if you answer yes to the second, you have a fact. – THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION – 40 Practice 1 Try these questions on the following statements. Read them carefully, and then write F in the blank if the statement is a fact and O if it is an opinion. The answers appear right after the questions. 1. The Academy Awards honor the film industry. 2. The Academy Awards are always fun to watch. 3. More independent films should win Academy Awards. 4. The Academy Awards are an annual event. 5. Best director is the most interesting Academy Award category. Answers 1. Fact 2. Opinion 3. Opinion 4. Fact 5. Opinion Practice 2 Now try the same exercise with a complete paragraph. U nd erline the facts and use a highlighter or colored pen to highlight the opinions. Be careful—you may find fact and opinion together in the same sentence. When you’ve finished, you can check your answers against the marked passage that follows. – THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION – 41 There are many different ways to invest your money to provide for a financially secure future. Many people invest in stocks and bonds, but I think good old- fashioned savings accounts and CDs (certificates of deposit) are the best way to invest your hard-earned money. Stocks and bonds are often risky, and it doesn’t make sense to risk losing the money you’ve worked so hard for. True, regular sav- ings accounts and CDs can’t make you a millionaire overnight or provide the high returns some stock investments do. But by the same token, savings accounts and CDs are fully insured and provide steady, secure interest on your money. That makes a whole lot of cents. Answers How did you do? Was it easy to distinguish between the facts and the opinions? Here’s what your marked-up pas- sage should look like. The facts are underlined and the opinions are in boldface type. – THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION – 42 Ther e are many differ ent ways to invest your mo ney to provide f or a financial ly secure fu ture.M any people invest in sto cks and bonds, but I think good old- fashioned savings accounts and CDs (certificates of deposit) are the best way to invest your hard-earned money. St oc ks and bonds are oft en risky, and it doesn’t make sense to risk losing the money you’ve worked so hard for. T rue, regular sa vings acc ounts and CDs can’t make you a millionaire o vernight or pro vide the high re turns some stock inv estments do. But by the same token, sa vings accounts and CDs are fully insured and provide steady, secure interest on y our mone y. That makes a whole lot of cents. Practice 3 To strengthen your ability to distinguish between fact and opinion, try this. Take a fact, such as: FACT: Wednesday is the fourth day of the week. Now, turn it into an opinion. Make it something debatable, like this: OPINION: Wednesday is the longest day of the week. Here’s another example. FACT: You must be 18 years old to vote in the United States. OPINION: The voting age should be lowered to 16 years of age. Now you try. Suggested answers come after the questions. 6. FACT: Healthcare costs have risen over the last several years. OPINION: 7. FACT: The 22nd Amendment of the United States Constitution establishes a two-term limit for the presidency. OPINION: 8. FACT: More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives in the Vietnam War. OPINION: [...]... determine whether they are stating a fact or expressing an opinion When they offer opinions, do they support them? As you come across facts and opinions today, practice turning them into their opposites; make facts out of opinions and opinions out of facts 43 L E S S O N 5 Putting It All Together LESSON SUMMARY This lesson reviews what you learned in Lessons 1–4: getting the facts, finding the main idea,... idea, determining what words mean in context, and distinguishing between fact and opinion In this lesson, you’ll get vital practice in using all four skills at once I n order to solve a crime, a detective cannot just get the facts of the case, just discover the motive, just decipher difficult clues, or just distinguish between fact and opinion To be successful, a detective must do all these things at the... saw how the main idea must be general enough to encompass all other sentences in the paragraph; it is the thought that controls the paragraph, and the other sentences work to support that main idea Lesson 3: Determine the meaning of words from context You practiced looking for clues to determine meaning in the words and sentences surrounding the unfamiliar word or phrase Lesson 4: Distinguish between... support opinions These are the strategies you studied in the past four lessons: ■ ■ ■ ■ If any of these terms or strategies sound unfamiliar to you, STOP Take a few minutes to review whatever lesson is unclear Lesson 1: Find the facts in what you read You practiced looking for the basic information that was being conveyed in the paragraphs: the who, what, when, where, and how Lesson 2: Find the main idea... Distinguish between fact and opinion You learned that a fact is something known to be true, whereas an opinion is something believed to Practice In this lesson, you will sharpen your reading comprehension skills by using all of these strategies at once This will become more natural to you as your reading skills develop Practice Passage 1 Begin by looking at the following paragraph Remember to read... transforming our pain and suffering with the healing magic of his guitar Rock music wouldn’t be what it is today without Robert Johnson 11 Indelible means a permanent, impossible to remove b fleeting, brief c troubling, disturbing 7 According to the passage, from what musical tradition did Robert Johnson emerge? a rock and roll b jazz c blues 12 The main idea of this paragraph is best expressed in which... an opinion It is debatable Someone else might think that altering the menu in school cafeterias isn’t one of the most important steps to be taken in order to make the United States a healthier, slimmer nation They might think that launching a public service ad campaign about the dangers of fast food or implementing more rigorous classroom education about eating healthy is more important than changing... the fact that contemporary artists return to Johnson again and again Also, the sentence that uses the word indelible states, “He was only 27 years old, yet he left an indelible mark on the music world,” implying that he left a lasting mark in spite of his young age These clues make it obvious that (b) fleeting, brief and (c) troubling, disturbing are not the correct answers How did you do this time?... time Similarly, reading really can’t be broken down into these separate tasks Reading comprehension comes from employing all these strategies simultaneously This lesson gives you the opportunity to combine these strategies and take your reading comprehension skills to the next level 45 – PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER – Review: What You’ve Learned so Far be true You practiced distinguishing between the two... AND OPINION – 8 American soldiers should not have been sent to Vietnam Our government did all the right things concerning the Vietnam War 9 The Motion Picture Association should not be able to rate films The Motion Picture Association ratings should be taken seriously by all parents Movie ratings are useless 10 Performance-enhancing drugs should be legal Competitive sports would be more interesting to . learned in Lessons 1–4: getting the facts, finding the main idea, determining what words mean in context, and distinguishing between fact and opinion. In this. the endings change. – DEFINING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT – 36 Practice Read the following passages and determine the mean- ing of the words from their context.